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11h ago

Bodies Recovered in Southern Colorado; Search for Missing Elk Hunters Ends, Official IDs Pending

Crews spent six days combing the San Juan Wilderness through rough terrain during cold storms.

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Search and rescue teams gather at the Rio de Los Pinos Trailhead in the Rio Grande National Forest to search for two missing elk hunters. (Photo provided by the Conejos County Sheriff's Office)
A bull Elk chases a cow while flicking his tongue, a courting maneuver, during the rut in a meadow near Moraine Park on Sept. 24, 2023 in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park. A herd bull will approach cows slowly and carefully, with antlers high and tongue flicking, doing everything he can to win over a cow. If a cow is not ready to mate, she will move away with her head low, weaving her neck side to side and the bull will stop his immediate courting. Fall is approaching, and elk are entering their mating season, also known as the elk rut. Beginning September 1, annual meadow closures go into effect in Rocky Mountain National Park to prevent park visitors from disturbing elk during their rut.  According to a press release from the park meadow closures are in place between the hours of 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Meadow areas that are closed include Horseshoe Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, Moraine Park, Harbison Meadow, and Holzwarth Meadow. During the specified hours, these areas are closed to all travel on foot or via horseback off established roadways and established trails.  The elk rut lasts from late September to mid-October in the park as well as Estes Park. During this period, hundreds of elk descend to the lower meadows of Rocky Mountain National Park looking to mate. RMNP is home to over 3,000 elk in the fall months. Elk are highly social animals and travel in various herd sizes throughout the year. Herds can grow as large as a few hundred individuals. Elk have a large range and move according to seasonal food availability. In the summer, herds move to higher elevations to feed on tundra vegetation, while in the winter they move down to lower elevations of the park and down into the Front Range. Elk primarily graze on grasses and forbs but they also browse shrubs. They feed mostly in the morning and evening, and seek sheltered areas during the middle of the day to digest. They eat an av

Overview

  • The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office reported recovering two male bodies around 11 a.m. on Sept. 18 about two miles from the Rio De Los Pinos trailhead, and the search was suspended.
  • Families identified the deceased as Andrew Porter and Ian Stasko, both 25, while formal identification and the cause of death remain under investigation.
  • Porter last shared a Garmin inReach location around 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 11, and there was a reported sighting of the pair on Sept. 12 at a neighboring trailhead.
  • Deputies found the men’s vehicle at the trailhead with camping gear and backpacks inside, raising concern due to recent heavy rain, fog and cold storms.
  • More than 54 teams—using helicopters, drones, dog teams and horseback units—with volunteers from multiple states joined the search, supported by a GoFundMe and a $10,000 reward.